1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to portable sports assembly support ballast and, in particular, to a versatile removable ballast system which can be adapted to meet various needs of the user of the particular apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of sports assemblies, and in particular, basketball goal support assemblies, volleyball net support assemblies and the like, have been proposed and used in the past. Such proposals have recognized that stability, and in some instances portability, are desirable characteristics. In the past, providing both stability and portability in a particular construction has come at the price of requiring a more complex structural arrangement and a larger base, which meant added complexity in manufacture, assembly and use, as well as the need for larger consumer storage space.
These problems are also present in smaller applications like poolside and youth sports products. For example, poolside systems have been developed wherein a base is adapted to sit on a pool deck and receive a first quantity of water internally and an additional quantity of water or other material externally when additional ballast is needed. However, overcoming the conflicting design considerations of stability and portability is a more difficult task in designing larger units for adults and regulation play, which must be able to withstand heavier loads and more aggressive playing conditions. Moreover, the recent trend towards using larger backboards in portable systems designed for regulation play has exacerbated these problems.
Conventionally, portable basketball systems of this type have included several main components: a basketball backboard supporting a basketball goal and a net; a pole and extension arm, elevator, or other mechanism for supporting the backboard on the pole; and a base for supporting the pole. Typically, ballast material such as water or sand is provided on top of or inside the base section to weigh down the unit, and provide the requisite stability during use. An example of a portable system having ballast inside a base is described in the assignee's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,407 to Fitzsimmons et al.
In Fitzsimmons et al. '407, a hollow tetrahedral base supports the pole and has an interior space for receiving ballast material. The support pole is secured at an angle at a rear portion of the base, so that the backboard mounted on the pole extends beyond the base and over the playing surface. A roller provided in a recess on a leading edge of the base facilitates moving the unit from one location to another. While the support assembly described in Fitzsimmons et al. '407 works well and is portable, the size of the tetrahedral base makes it inconvenient to store and ship in practice.
An improvement over this portable goal assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,393 to Fitzsimmons et al., also developed by the assignee of this application. Like the above-described unit, Fitzsimmons et al. '393 utilizes a hollow base that is filled with ballast material and the support pole is mounted on a rear portion of the base at an angle. However, the base of Fitzsimmons et al. '393 is smaller in height and flatter than the prior tetrahedral base design. Moreover, the base is made from a single body rather than in two sections. Thus, in practice, the unit of Fitzsimmons et al. '393 is easier to ship and store than the original Fitzsimmons et al. '407 patent.
In the foregoing and other conventional goal units, achieving the greatest amount of stability, as measured by the amount of sustainable "pullover" force, should always be one of the paramount objects of a portable basketball system manufacturer. One approach to achieve this object is simply to use as much ballast as is practical. However, there are drawbacks to this approach, in that the more ballast material to be used, the larger the base must be to accommodate the ballast, which may reduce portability. In the prior designs in which the base is hollowed to receive ballast, an increase in the amount of ballast necessitates an increased interior volume for the base, which can be accomplished by increasing the surface area (i.e. the footprint) of the base and/or the height of the base. In the prior designs in which ballast sits on top of the base, it is likely necessary to provide a greater surface area for the base or to increase its strength to accommodate increased ballast. Increasing the size and/or strength of the base, in either type of design, disadvantageously increases the shipping costs, and increases the amount of consumer storage space the unit may occupy.
Additionally, when someone desires to modify their existing apparatus, the stability of the apparatus may be altered. For example, if someone were to replace the backboard of their portable basketball goal with a backboard that might be heavier than the original backboard, the stability of the assembly would be sacrificed. Accordingly, one would require more ballast than the basketball goal was originally designed to hold. The ballast should be placed in a location that would maximize the stability of the system without interfering with the use thereof.
The foregoing demonstrates that there is a need for a portable basketball support system that provides greater stability and can carry heavier loads than heretofore practical without sacrificing portability. There is also a need in the art for a ballast which is adapted to couple with a variety of sports apparatuses that is easily transported by an average individual, while still providing required stability in use.